Poetic Voices of the Muslim World – The Travelling Word: A West African Epic With Kewulay Kamara and Jali musicians

With the help of West African Jali musicians, Kewulay Kamara discusses, performs and screens segments of his documentary about his attempt to recreate an ancient oral epic after the only written copy, set down by his father in Kuranko using Arabic script, was destroyed in Sierra Leone’s recent Civil War. It is a medley of oral legend and myth that traces the origin of the Finah clan of warrior poets to a time before the birth of Muhammad.

Poetic Voices of the Muslim World is presented by Poets House and City Lore, in partnership with the American Library Association and the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System. Funded by the Bridging Cultures Program of the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor. With additional support from the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art. Local programming and support developed and provided by the Atlanta Islamic Speakers Bureau.

Sponsored by: City Lore, Poet’s House, American Library Association, National Endowment for the Humanities, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, Atlanta Islamic Speakers Bureau

All library programs are free and open to the public.

For more information, e-mail john.wright@fultoncountyga.gov or call 404-730-1900.